Should I pay to sit with my 4 year old

iammumtoone

I am not a frequent traveler. However I do know that I need to turn up well before check in time - I know this as the airlines clearly and boldly state this when booking. They do not however clearly state that if travelling with a child you need to book and pay extra for tickets, so how I am suppose to know this. I appreciate the info will be stated somewhere in the terms and conditions but it could easily be missed and I would still assume it was there to cover themselves and that in normal circumstances a child would be sat with a parent, it appears not as most parents are paying extra for seats. As an infrequent flyer how would I be expected to know this?

In fact the more I think about it, I am coming to the conclusion that ds will just have to be content with holidaying in the UK.

MasterPoo

Why do some of you like to make YOUR Problems other peoples problems?

Signed "child hater" LOL!

steve1500

zagfles wrote: »

I think they're just narked that they've been taken for mugs and paid while the rest of us have got basic safety free

Completely agree


The airlines are fully aware of what the CAA say. But aren't going to be shouting it from the rooftops. when they can "persuade" you pay for your seats.



All of those have paid for their seat, as has been previously pointed out, are not guaranteed the seat anyway. It is in the T &C's

zagfles

iammumtoone wrote: »

I am not a frequent traveler. However I do know that I need to turn up well before check in time - I know this as the airlines clearly and boldly state this when booking.

Airlines will state the latest check-in or gate closure time, typically this is 30-45 mins before the flight. They say to allow extra time to get through security etc. They don't say you need to be there 2 or 3 hours before the flight.

Airports usually recommend you are there ridiculously early so you have time to kill to browse in their expensive shops But your contract is with the airline not the airport.

They do not however clearly state that if travelling with a child you need to book and pay extra for tickets, so how I am suppose to know this. I appreciate the info will be stated somewhere in the terms and conditions but it could easily be missed and I would still assume it was there to cover themselves and that in normal circumstances a child would be sat with a parent, it appears not as most parents are paying extra for seats. As an infrequent flyer how would I be expected to know this?

You aren't. See the CAA guidelines posted above, basic safety is free. If you have special needs then let the airline know, I think they all state this.

In fact the more I think about it, I am coming to the conclusion that ds will just have to be content with holidaying in the UK.

Why? Driving eg 200 miles to the UK seaside is far riskier than flying.

peachyprice

duchy wrote: »

Yes isn't it dreadful ....those evil people like Shaun and Murph who travel regularly with their children and take responsibility for making sure their families are sitting together by paying for it- expecting other parents to be equally responsible. They must be real child haters :rotfl:

It's simple if as a parent you choose to book your own child onto a flight then as a parent it is your responsibility to ensure you do not place them in a vulnerable position-in this case by ensuring they are seated with you - and if you as the parent have chosen to transport them on an airline that needs paying to do so - then that is your responsibility.

By your logic a parent isn't responsible for ensuring a car they choose to transport their child in has a proper child seat-but most responsible parents would disagree. The parent chooses how to transport their child but with it comes responsibilities to that child that they shouldn't be trying to palm off on others.

I have NEVER had to travel seated away from my child - because I've made sure it won't happen by booking appropriately and not leaving it to chance or the goodwill of strangers- If that makes me a child hater in your eyes - so be it !!

Oh for goodness sake Duchy, you should know your children are everyone else's responsibility. The universe revolves around only them leaving you absolved of having to take responsibility yourself.

peachyprice

zagfles wrote: »

You aren't. See the CAA guidelines posted above, basic safety is free. If you have special needs then let the airline know, I think they all state this.

They are GUIDELINES, in an ideal situation. They are NOT CAA law.

If you contact an airline claiming that you have special needs because you are travelling with children they will tell you to get to the airport early or pay for seats, that's all. Being a parent is not a protected status that absolves the need for common freaking sense.

paul2louise

iammumtoone wrote: »

So glad I read this thread I have never paid for seats on a plane and often been separated from who I am travelling with, fine by me I am not scared of flying, happy to sit on my own and meet up with my companion after.

I am now a single parent, my son has never been on a plane and I was thinking of taking him abroad. It would never have occurred to me to pre-book seats, I just (wrongly as it seems) assumed we would be put together. I will now pay extra if we go, all be it begrudging but I don't want the extra hassle and stress of sorting it out if we are not together.

I do go on buses with him and I would NEVER make him give up his bus seat, to the person who thought parents should make their child give up bus seats, have you even been on a bus in an accident? The people standing come off far worse than those sitting in seats (for the same reason I never let him sit in the back seat facing the aisle). I do however give up my own seat so someone in more need can sit down.

Well I thought the same as you. I didn't want to move anyone seated. As it was first time I had flown with him in his own seat I didn't really think about it. I didn't do it to be tight just never occurred to me. As my travel agent never mentioned it either. I was quite upset to have to cause the fuss and hated that people moved for me. Just hope others in similar position are more aware of this when they fly

Poppy9

zagfles wrote: »

:rotfl:yes that's a good backup! "Now then Johnny, here's a sick bag, and try to get it all in the bag this time and not in all the seats around you. And remember, if the plane shakes a bit it's only turbulence, try not to scream for ages like last time". You'll get a volunteer pretty quick

But by the same stance if you don't pay to sit with your travelling party you could have a child or adult with travel sickness next to you!

iammumtoone wrote: »

I am now a single parent, my son has never been on a plane and I was thinking of taking him abroad. It would never have occurred to me to pre-book seats, I just (wrongly as it seems) assumed we would be put together. I will now pay extra if we go, all be it begrudging but I don't want the extra hassle and stress of sorting it out if we are not together.

And that is the whole point, you can start your holiday without any hassle or stress if you pay. If you don't pay you take a chance on seating, it might work out, it might not and then you have stress of trying to sort it.

iammumtoone wrote: »

I do go on buses with him and I would NEVER make him give up his bus seat, to the person who thought parents should make their child give up bus seats, have you even been on a bus in an accident? The people standing come off far worse than those sitting in seats (for the same reason I never let him sit in the back seat facing the aisle). I do however give up my own seat so someone in more need can sit down.

I travelled by public bus every day to an from school during and any other time we went out with my mother as she didn't drive. Only accident on the bus we ever has was my mother sliding off her seat (seats were leather then and the fabric of her coat made her slip off the seat when we cornered (I'm laughing remembering it). Other than that a few bangs from the top deck hitting branches. Not sure how young your child is but until we were too heavy or too embarrassed we had to sit on her lap. If we stood up she had aisle seat and had her arm around us. Never once fell and tbh spent most of my bus journeys standing as buses were always heaving when I was young.

I did once ask on the London Underground if someone would give up a seat for my 9 months pregnant sister as everyone had pretended not to notice her condition and it was difficult when people tried to squeeze past her to get on off!

zagfles wrote: »

It is sexist! And in certain US states black people were expected to give up their seat to white people! That went out with the ark too thankfully!!

I'm not offended by it and think it's courtesy. In the same way I would show consideration to an older person and if they want to call me ageist they can but I still feel I am doing the right thing.

zafles wrote:

Yes, probably exactly the same sort of people who don't notice that others' needs to sit together are greater than theirs. They think just because they've paid, others' needs can go hang. I've actually heard people say they'd never give us their seat on the bus to a pensioner because the pensioner hasn't paid.

See everyone is assuming that if people have paid to sit together, if they are not with a young child they have no need but as stated earlier in the thread by another poster they pay because they are scared of flying so need to be with someone close. My friend travels with her grown up autistic son, she always prebooks as he would get upset at sitting by a stranger. There are many reasons why people decide to pay to sit together, I would assume they feel a need for this else why pay. Why though should these people have to justify to a stewardess and a plane full of people why they prebooked their seats and why they wish to stay together?


I have never heard anyone complaining about pensioners having a seat when they haven't paid. I've heard whinging they can't get on the 8am/8.30 bus full because its full since pensioners have had free travel passes.

I book the Greyhound bus quite often and I do I like the fact I can turn up shortly before bus is due to leave, sit/stand at the back of the queue and then go straight to the front as I've booked and others (usually pensioners as their bus pass gives them a cheaper walk on ticket) have to take what, if any seats are left. Often it doesn't even save them much as some of my return journeys are £5 or £6 if I book quite a bit in advance or go on unpopular days/times. They pay £2.50 per journey, don't know if they will be able to travel.

As said previously I don't prebook plane seats unless free as I'm guaranteed a seat on the plane and for a couple of hours I don't care who I'm sitting by.

In the day before you pre booked seats we were latish arriving at airport due to family emergency and were told there were no seats together. We didn't make a fuss, we were late and DD about 7 and only in row ahead of OH. I think she might of been expecting a fuss because after a pause she said "I'll sort it by the time you get to the gate". Not sure how she sorted it but she arrived just as the gate was about to open and give us new boarding cards with the 3 of us together. No one else seemed to be given new boarding cards so not sure how she did it.

Voyager2002

iammumtoone wrote: »

I am not a frequent traveler. However I do know that I need to turn up well before check in time - I know this as the airlines clearly and boldly state this when booking. They do not however clearly state that if travelling with a child you need to book and pay extra for tickets, so how I am suppose to know this. I appreciate the info will be stated somewhere in the terms and conditions but it could easily be missed and I would still assume it was there to cover themselves and that in normal circumstances a child would be sat with a parent, it appears not as most parents are paying extra for seats. As an infrequent flyer how would I be expected to know this?

In fact the more I think about it, I am coming to the conclusion that ds will just have to be content with holidaying in the UK.

Or travel abroad by train or ferry; or use proper airlines rather than these holiday charters and similar.

Poppy9

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Or travel abroad by train or ferry; or use proper airlines rather than these holiday charters and similar.

Oh lets not go there with trains and prebooked seats! It's free to prebook seats but people don't and then sit in the prebooked seats and refuse to move!

DD had a load of abuse when going back to uni as she asked a woman to move from her pre booked seat. DD had prebooked as she wanted to do some work on the train! Good for DD she stood her ground and woman moved (into another prebooked seat which she again had to move from)!!!